Weapon-mounted aiming and illumination apparatuses allow users to rapidly acquire, identify, and engage targets in combat situations. These apparatuses are generally configured to allow for both aiming and illuminating operation in both daytime and nighttime scenarios. As such, these apparatuses often include illumination and aiming laser radiation that is detectable in both the visible and invisible spectrum. Because a user may engage with a target at a variety of distances, these apparatuses are generally configured to be operable in both short-range, immediate combat situations, and longer-range, distant target engagements. These apparatuses may also be used to visually communicate with allies or other non-combatant users over a distance. For example, in a nighttime situation, friendly users may use infrared illumination in combination with night-vision systems in order to communicate with, or identify potential targets to, one another.
Prior art illumination and aiming systems and apparatuses, while adjustable to different distance and illumination settings, have failed to provide users with intuitive and simple controls that would allow a user to rapidly adjust an illumination and aiming device to appropriate settings for a given situation and environment. Prior art systems are also cumbersome in size and shape, altering the characteristics of a user's weapon; lack any ergonomic or intuitive features to facilitate usage; and do not provide users with sufficient customization and mounting options.
There exists a need for an illumination and aiming apparatus that will allow a user to rapidly adjust the settings of the illumination and aiming functions in response to target position and environmental conditions for a particular engagement, without requiring the user to alter or adjust firing grip, or spend unnecessary time adjusting and changing illumination and aiming settings. There is also a need for an illumination and aiming apparatus that is modular and highly adaptable to a user's specific mission and environmental requirements. Further, there is a need for a compact and accurate apparatus for adjusting the illumination direction that does not change during use.